The old double standard

Democrats are trying to railroad McCain on people who are endorsing his campaign. Its megachurch leader John Hagee from San Antonio this time (AP Link);

Democrats quoted Hagee as saying the Catholic Church conspired with Nazis against the Jews and that Hurricane Katrina was God’s retribution for homosexual sin, and they recited his demeaning comments about women and flip remarks about slavery.

“Hagee’s hate speech has no place in public discourse, and McCain’s embrace of this figure raises serious questions about John McCain’s character and his willingness to do anything to win,” said Tom McMahon, executive director of the Democratic National Committee.

So where was the denunciation of Louis Farakhan’s endorsement of Obama – how many times has Calypso Louie called white people devils? How many times has Farakhan or his followers denigrated Jews publicly? McCain handled it well, I think.

McCain was pressed on the issue Friday morning in Round Rock, Texas. Hagee “supports what I stand for and believe in,” McCain said.

“When he endorses me, that does not mean that I endorse everything that he stands for and believes in,” McCain said. “I don’t have to agree with everyone who endorses my campaign.”

He added that he was “proud” of Hagee’s spiritual leadership of his congregation at the 17,000-member Cornerstone Church.

But the perpetually offended won’t turn loose of that bone;

The Catholic League and Catholics United called on McCain to reject the endorsement.

“By publicly addressing this issue, you will reaffirm to the American public and to Catholics that intolerance and bigotry have no place in American presidential campaigns,” Chris Korzen, executive director of Catholics United, wrote McCain in a letter sent Thursday.

Look, I don’t support what Hagee preaches if the AP has reported it correctly, but McCain is right – he can’t and doesn’t agree with everything every single person who endorses him believes or says. This habit the Democrats have of trying to force Republicans to repudiate and back away from odd-ball endorsements is all a losing political game for Republicans. I hope McCain stands his ground on this one and stops it at the start before we get morality lessons from the Democrats every day until November.

When Democrats start turning away endorsements and returning filthy campaign cash without being caught with it in the first place, maybe we can take them a bit more seriously.

Category: John McCain/Sarah Palin, Politics